Inkjet printing is a type of computer-based printing that creates a digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto a substrate, typically paper. The concept of inkjet printing has been around for over a century but was made readily accessible to consumers in the latter half of the 20th century. Inkjet printing can be also employed for direct material deposition, which is an emerging manufacturing technique today.
The field of computer-assisted printing has seen vast technological advancement in recent years, including the 3D printing technology used to fabricate computer-designed objects by so-called “additive manufacturing.” Typically, the process of 3D printing involves serial printing (i.e., layering) of particles or 3D dots comprised of materials, such as thermoplastics, metal alloys, and plasters.
The inkjet technology as applied to biological materials, however, generally faces a number of technical obstacles.